Sash-balance.



W. T. FRY. SASH BALANCE.

APPLICATION HLED AUG-29, 19'6.

' Patented Dec. 11, 191?.

2 SHEETS SHEET W. T. FRY. SASH BALANCE. APPLICATION men Aue.2s, 191s.

Patenmd Dec. 11, 1917.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WILLIAM T. FRY, OF EDINBURG, VIRGINIA.-

SASH-BALANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

Application filed August 29, 1916. Serial No. 117,453.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM T. FRY,;a citizen of the United States, residing at Edinburg, in the county of Shenandoah and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Sash-Balances; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willvenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

This invention relates to improvements in that type of sash balance in which a barrel spring is employed to assist in the raising of the sash and to support the sash when the latter is in raised position, and an object of the invention is to incorporate in the balance certain novel details of construction that will serve as a brake and prevent the barrel spring, itself, from raising the window when the latter is in lowered position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel type of brake mechanism that can be regulated so as to effectively control barrel springs of different tensions, and will be of simple and durable construction, efficient in operation and conveniently regulated. i

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is afragmentary section of a window frame, showing the lower sash and the improved sash balance associated with the frame,

. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the window sash removed from the frame,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of one side of the window frame, showing a pairof balances vmounted thereon,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional. View, taken through the balance and showing the position ofthe brake mechanism when the lower sash is in lowermost position, a

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken through the sash balance for the lower sash, and showing the positionv assumed by the brake mechanism when the sash is in maximum raised position, i

Fig. 6 is avcrtical sectional view, taken through the sash balance, and showing the pes le by the brake l i m when the lower sash is in partially raised position,

Fig. 7 is a vertical front elevation of the sash balance, showing the latter removed from operative position with the window frame,

Fig 8 is a side view of the balance wheel, showing the barrel spring associated therewith, j V

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view, taken through the sash balance and wheel, and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view, taken through the lower end of the housing for the balance,'and showing the brake adjusting mechanism mounted therein.

Referring to the drawin'gs in detail, the letter A designates a window frame and B the lowermost sash. 1

Located on each side of the frame A is a pair of sash balances, those designated 1 being adaptedto operate on the lower sash and those designated 1 being'adapted to operate on the upper sash. As all of the balances are identical in construction, a description of one is deemed sufficient; hence the construction of one of the balances for the lower sash will be elected to be described. The balance is shown as consisting of a housing '2 formedof castmetal'and has one side thereof closed by a removable plate 3. The inner edge of the housing is provided with a slot 4, which communicates with the interior of the housing. Thehousing, when in operative position, is received by a recess in one side of the window frame and the slot 4 in the inner edge of the housing communicates with a slot 5 formed in a metallic plate 6, which is secured to the inner side ofthe window frame, as shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings.

VA shaft 7 extends transversely through the housing and vhas its opposite ends fixed in the walls thereof, and mounted for rotation on the shaft '7 is a balance Wheel 8. The balance wheel 8 has one face thereof provided' with an annular-cut out portion 9,

and within which fits a barrel spring 10.

t w r hr gh the s a 9f e. P ates 9 in the balance wheel 8'. The

and to interengage in sockets 12' formed in the adjacent side of the sash, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The springs 10 for the balance wheels for the lower sash are so associated with the balance wheel, that during the lowering of the lower sash the sprin s 10 will be wound and placed under tension, and during the raising of the sash the springs will be unwound, and assist in the raising of the sash. The springs are of such construction as not to be entirely relieved from their tensions when the lower sash reaches its uppermost position, so that the springs will serve as balances for the lower sash and prevent the same from gravitating.

The wheel 8 has that side opposite the one in which the cutout portion 9' is formed provided with a fusee or conical shaped extension 13, which has its periphery provided with a spiral groove 14. A vertically disposed retarding leaf spring 15 has its lower end pivoted, as at 16, to one wall of a vertical slot 17 formed in the lower end of the housing 2, and the upper end of the spring 1 5 is received by the spiral groove 14 formed in the conical shaped extension 13 carried by the wheel 3. WVhen the lower sash is in its lowermost position, and the spring 10 placed under its maximum tension, the upper end of the spring 15 will be positioned at the upper end of the groove 14, as shown in Fig. 4 and exert sufficientpressure on the conical extension 13 so as to serve as a brake and prevent the spring 10 itself from moving thewindow sash upwardly, it thereby necessitating some additional force to overcome the tension of the springv 15, this force being supplied bythe upward pressure exerted on the window sash by a person desiring to raise the sash. During the raising of the lower sash the upper or free end of the spring 15 will travel downwardly in the groove 14, and when the lower sash reaches its uppermost position the free end of the spring will simultaneously reach the lower end of the groove 14, and the conical shaped extension 13 will be relieved of the tension of the spring 15, but, as before stated, the lower sash will be prevented fromgravitatingby reason of the fact that the springs 10 will not be entirely relieved of their tension.

A vertical sliding block 18 is mounted. within the slot 17 in the housing 2 and is provided with wings 19, which are received in guide grooves formed in the walls of the slot 17. The inner face of the block 18 is beveled, and when the block 18 is adjusted downwardly the beveled face is adapted to engage the spring 15 so that the pressure of the spring 15 against the conical shaped portion 13: of the wheel 8 can be regulated. The block 18 has a. threaded opening. therein which. receives the lower end of. a screw 20, which is swiveuy" mounted, as at 21', in a slot-22- formed in the plate 5. When the screw 20 is adjusted in one direction, the

block l8-will be lowered so as to cause the beveled face thereof to engage the spring 1 and: cause the same to exert a greater pressure on the conical shaped extension 13, and when-the screw is rotated in the oppositedirection the block 18 will be raised so as to lessen the pressure ofthe spring 15 on the conical shaped extension 13. By virtue of the employment of the regulating" block 18 a barrel springof' relatively great power can be employed and the spring 15 can be adjusted so as to exert the proper amount of tension on the conical shaped extension 13 toprevent tliebarrel spring'from raising the lower sash independently of no additional force.

The sash balances for the upper sash are identical with t'lie ones for the lower sash, but the barrel springs therefor are to'rbe'" so positioned that they will be wound-uponupward movement of the upper sash and unwound during the lowering thereof.

It is tobe understood that various'changes might be resorted to in" the construction, form and arrangement of" the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, hence I' do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein described and claimed.

What I- claim as new is:

1. A sash balance comprising a rotatab'ly mounted sash engaging element, a spiral spring associated with the element, a fusee carried by the element, and a leafspringsecured at one end" and having itsfree; end engaging in the groove of the fusee at the larger end of the fusee when'the spiral spring isunder normal tension, and the f're'eendof the leaf spring being adapted tobe moved by the groove along the length ofthefusee in the direction of its smaller end as the tension of the spiral spring decreases and returned in the direction of the larger end as the tension ofthe spiral springincreases.

2. A sash'balance comprising a rotatably mounted sash engaging element, a spiral spring associated with the element, at fusee carried by the element, a leaf spring secured at one end and having its free end engaging in the groove of the fusee at the larger end of the fusee when the spiral spring is under normal tension, and the free end of the leaf spring being adapted to be moved by the groove along the length of the fusee'nin the direction of its smaller" end as' the tension of the spiral spring decreases and returned in the direction of the larger end as the tension of the spiral spring increases, and means by which the tension of the leaf spring may be increased or decreased.

3'. A sash balance comprising a casing, a sash engaging element rotatably mounted the casing, a spiral spring asso- I casing having a groove adjacent the leaf spring, a block slidably mounted in said groove and engaging the leaf spring, and means by which the block may be moved along said groove to increase or decrease the i0 tension, of the leaf spring.

4. A sash balance comprising a rotatably mounted sash engaging element, a spring associated with the element, a fusee carried by the element, and a retarding spring engaging in the groove of the fusee.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM T. FRY.

Witnesses: J. C. HUTCHISON, F. A. Mom.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

